Blank for snap-hooks.



J. B. BAXTBR.

BLANK FOR SNAP HOOKS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1909.

. 1,059,814 Patented Apr.22,19 13.'

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

JOHN B. BAXTER, or WATERVLIET, new

YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COVERT MANUFACTUR- IN G COMPANY, OF WATERVLIET, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

. BLANK FOR SNAP-HOOKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2.2, 1 91 3,

Application filed November 30,1909. I Serial No. 530,663.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. BAXTER,

citizen of the United States, residing at Watrvliet, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements'in Blanks for Silap-Hooks, of which the'following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in harness fittings and has for its object the provision of a device which, while capable of application in many types of devices, 'is conveniently herein-disclosed in connection with a snap hook.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a casting, and an article produced therefrom, having whatmay be styled an open eye, that is an eye which is not 'an' integral continuous ring, but formed by forcing a separate metallic extension to a seat provided therefor to form the ring or eye, the improved characteristics residing, in the case of the blank, in the formation of the'extension enabling the same to be forced to its seat Without materially drawing the metal and correspondingly weakening that portion of the eye which is. subject to' the greater strains when in use; and, in the case of the completed article, an eye having the metal thereof at the point or points of its greatest wear or strain unstretched or in other words of its normal density. An incidental advantage obtained by my improvedblank is that the major portion of larged relative to the desired ultimate size of the eye, and the extension has been so formed relative to its seat that in forcing the same home the metal of substantially the entire eye is stretched and at points somewhat compressed to permit the contraction of the opening which is necessary to enable the extension to be properly seated. This has resulted in breakage or fracture of the extension, totally destructive of a large percentage of the blanks, or\the material weakening of the eye. These disadvantages are matters which I have successfully overcome by the present improvements.

With the foregoing objects inmind, and; also details in the construction and arrange-f ment. I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, one embodiment of my invention, and an understanding of the same may be readily obtained from aninspection of such drawings when considered in connection with the speviews, A represents the shank of a snap hook, the bill of the same being represented at B and the slidable spring tongue at C, it

being unnecessary to refer further to these latter mentioned features. The end of the shank s cast with a curved intermediate oortion D extendin a) roximatel lon ia ls a tudinally of the shank to in part form an elongated oblong or oval opening E, and this intermediate portion carries a return elongated extension F extending inwardly toward the shank and substantially beyond the end of the shank whence it terminates at a point alongside said shank, as clearly shown. This formation brings the major diameter of the oval opening in line with the shank A. The extension F commencing approximately at the dotted line f is reduced in diameter relative to the thickness of the end and back portion d of the loop or ring.

with an inclined seat G formed complementary to a correspondingly inclined seating portion H at the end of theextension.

In a construction of the character defined, the closing down of the extension to complete the eye is by a gradual rounding inward bend of the extension to its seat, and obviously without any severe strain or draw on the metal the reduced size of the exten- The endportion 61 of the shank is provided sion facilitating this operation and enabling the bending without affecting the relatively stronger or reinforced heavier metal end and back of the ring. It will be especially notedthat the metal is neither drawn nor compressed to any perce tible extent at either the back or end of tiie'eye where the wear and strain is the. greatest during the use of thedevice. The closing of the extension completes the oblong or oval opening, the size of which it is seen is preserved as originally cast, and the major diameter of which is in line witht-he longitudinal axis of the shank. The formation of the blank as stated, thus enables the casting of the eye in the first instance in approximately the size desired in the completed article and the special arrangement and formation of the extension enables, in' the completed device, the preservation of the metal ofthe back and end of theeye in practically its normal density, that is, without change from its original cast condition, devoid of any snap,

crack, break or of even being weakened by a stretching or squeezing of the particles of the metal at indiscriminate or uncertainportions of'the eye, and more especially at said back and end, which would at times be incident to the bending of this portion.

The initial formation of the "'eye in open condition is the usual practice in this art, as it facilitates the casting of the blankv and also enables the introduction of a link, rope or eye when desired, but these matters need not be referred to in detail herein inasmuch as they constitute" no part of the present invention.

I claim I A blank of the character described,comprising a shank portion and an open eye portion integral therewith, the shank and 4 portion extending inwardly beyond the inner surface of the shank, the inner contour of said rigid side and end portion corresponding to and constituting the main portion of the inner contour of the completed eye, and an opposite side portion extending from said rigid end portion and oflset from said shank, said side portion having a terminal portion, the free end of which extends beyond the juncture of the rigid side por-' tion of the eye with the shank and directly overlies said shank, said terminal portion being of relatively smaller diameter than the rigid portions of the eye, whereby it alone may be bent into engagement'with the shank to form the completed eye with- .out aflt'ecting the metal of the major portion of the eye.

In testimony whereof I afiix'my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. BAXTER. Witnesses: p

GEORGE .H. LEE, FRED W. Covnn'r. 

